More No-Nos: Please don’t swoop down on my table the minute we’ve sat down and ask, “Would you like something to drink?†Chances are we would, but how can we possibly know until we’ve had a minute to look at the wine list? (more…)
I can’t take it anymore! Surely this has happened to you. You are out dining, enjoying your main course and your server comes by the table and asks: “Are you guys still working on that?” (more…)
I give you two local reds, both roughly $16 a bottle, supple and complex enough to redeem even the driest roast turkey.
We love the Ridge Vineyards 2004 Three Valleys blend, from Paul Draper, whom the San Francisco Chronicle recently dubbed winemaker of the year (and many would agree). At 14.1% alc. it’s robust without aggression. The exquisitely balanced blend of zinfandel, carignane, syrah, petite sirah and grenache fills the cup with blackberries, cloves, brown licorice and a hint of gunpowder. The nose is abundant and this wine also loves pasta and lamb. . . . From Hallcrest comes a disarmingly delicate Pinot Noir, Santa Cruz Mountains 2002, Ciardella Vineyard, also weighing in at 14.1 % alcohol. This is a bright, ruby-colored vintage of extreme clarity, and loaded with pomegranate and plums, with a light licorice back. A beautiful wine with seafoods and, of course, that roast turkey.
Oral Update: It takes a dentist. And that’s not a book by Rick Santorum. Like my dentist, bon vivant William Christie, a guy who does lunch in a big way. So I checked in with the doc about the new place in the downtown Santa Cruz Art Center, Center Street Grill, right across from his office. (more…)
This is easily one of the most beautiful places on earth. Not convinced? Click on the image for a more sweeping vista of Wilder Beach, looking toward the Carmel Highlands and Monterey.
A book of sensory adventure: The rituals, passions and discoveries of an engaged life.